


Support

by thegoatz



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sleep Deprivation, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, i guess?, just putting it there to be safe rather than sorry uwu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:20:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22682368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegoatz/pseuds/thegoatz
Summary: He used to believe there was no Bobby Fish without Undisputed Era, he now starts to realise that there is no Undisputed Era without Bobby Fish.
Relationships: Adam Cole/Bobby Fish/Kyle O'Reilly/Roderick Strong
Comments: 6
Kudos: 23





	Support

In the Undisputed Era, there is simply no room for weakness.

They ran NXT, and to do that they needed to be the best of the best, so when Bobby realises that he's not up to par, that he just can't keep up with them anymore, he starts to worry.

What if they leave him behind? What if they replace him? What if they simply forget him? 

He doesn't know how he'll bear it if they do; doesn't even want to think about it, but when, after a match, when he's feeling the effects seemingly way more than the others are, he can't help but worry.

Aches and pains just don't go away, bruises and cuts don't fade as quickly as they do with the others, and he can't help but worry, because the Undisputed Era needs to be the best, and he doesn't even want to think about letting the rest of them down.

Maybe, he's just not trying enough.

Maybe, if he trains harder, focuses better, doesn't let himself be weak, just is better, then they won't leave him behind.

But if he trains harder if he stays at the gym longer, does more reps, more sets, the more he's away from them, and every time he has to turn one of them down when they ask if he wants to join them in whatever activity it was that they were doing, he swears he can feel the distance between them get further and further away. Bobby tells himself that their dejected looks will be worth it when he is able to pull his weight in their next match.

He repeats it over, and over, and over, again like it's a mantra: repeats it so many times that he forces himself to believe it.

But when he's not at the gym, or when he's not in the ring learning new techniques that could potentially save a match, he's with them but it's just not the same. He can feel that their bond with each other is so much stronger than their bond with him, and even though he's tried so hard, he's being left behind still. 

But he won't let his hope run out yet.

All his work at the gym is paying off well, he's been able to play a vital part in some of their matches, and god, the proud smiles on their faces after the match when they thank him for helping them is well worth all the pain he's been through to get there. During matches, he tags himself in more often, taking most of the beatings so that they don't have to: so they're as safe as he could possibly keep them, and it works. He doesn't want to let that go just yet.

So he adapts.

He changes his plans.

If he wakes up earlier, before all of the others, and does whatever it is that he needs to do at the gym, and gets back just in time for when they wake up then he can spend as much time with them as possible. It's hard work. So unbelievably hard, but he does it, for them.

And it works, for the most part.

He gets to see them more often; he gets to see how their smiles light up with blinding grins as he agrees to go with them to whatever it was that they were doing and that alone makes everything he's done so worth it, and for a while, everything feels perfect.

But, all good things must come to an end at some point.

The effects of the lack of sleep that he's getting starts to catch up on him. It gets harder and harder to keep up with the others in matches and suddenly he's right back where he was at the beginning. They no longer thank him as much as they did, as he no longer helps as much during matches, and he just feels lost.

Even though he goes out with them, he mostly remains quiet, doesn't talk unless they talk to him first as he's too damn tired to make an effort anymore. All of the work that he does in the gym is being countered by his lack of sleep but he doesn't want to give it up because he starts to become addicted to how his body aches after he pushes himself to the limits.

Sometimes he just wants to feel.

But what he wants more, is just for everything to go back to how it was before this all started: back when everything was so much simpler.

He notices the bags under his eyes after a while, and how gaunt his face looks, and decides that he doesn't like it one bit; realises how bad, and suspicious, it looks to the others, so before one of his matches, when he's getting his makeup done, he slips some into his boots whilst they're not looking and hides it away in his bag when given the chance.

Thankfully it works, and the bags under his eyes soon disappear, and he looks like Bobby again.

It's a feeling he doesn't want to lose.

But, it doesn't last long, and at this point, Bobby doesn't know why he expected it to.

But it's after a particularly hard match, perhaps even the hardest one he's ever had, that everything goes really, really, wrong.

First of all, they lost, which is never a good thing, and nearly always leaves all four of them in the foulest of moods. Normally when they lose, they seek comfort in each other, it became a ritual of some sorts, but not anymore.

Bobby took most of the beating in the match, like he always did, and his body ached like it never had before, and what's even worse is that he took the pin, and the guilt burning through him hurts more than the match did.

They've been on a losing streak recently, and judging by all their angry looks, which were to be expected, Bobby can tell that the others are at a breaking point, and suddenly the worry of being left behind is back, the fear of being replaced, of being forgotten is at the forefront of his mind, Adam turns to glare at him, the others following suit, and his heart starts to pound.

"Bobby," Adam starts, his voice carrying a dangerous lilt to it, and Bobby knows what that tone means, he just never thought he'd be at this end of it, "what the hell were you doing out there?"

He doesn't know why he was surprised by Adam's blame. They hadn't been doing very well lately: the chemistry that they once had just wasn't there anymore, and Bobby can't help but believe that it's his fault.

A part of him just wants to believe that Adam is only blaming him because he's in a bad mood and that he doesn't truly mean it. He clings to that belief like it's his lifeline. But from the expression on Adam's face, an expression that he's never seen before, the hope dissipates as quickly as it came.

Bobby has always considered himself to be good under pressure, and for the most part, he is. But when it comes to the rest of Undisputed Era when it comes to his boys, then all his ability to remain calm disappears, and if it were any other situation then it might have been funny, but now, it's just painful. So he panics, which doesn't usually happen.

His body aches from the match, and everything just starts to overwhelm him. He just wants everything to be like it was.

He stutters out an apology because at that point it's all he thinks to do, and he inwardly prays that it works.

"I'm sorry I lost us the match," he says, because he truly, truly, is sorry, and he so desperately hopes that they see that he is, that they forgive him.

"Sometimes sorry isn't enough, Bobby, sometimes you need to _be better_."

He doesn't know what to say, because he never thought it would get to this point, he never thought that their relationship would be as frayed as it was. All he can think to do is to inwardly chastise himself. If it wasn't for his missments: his asinine little errors, maybe they wouldn't be here.

"I'll do better next time," he says, his voice hard, like it's a promise, a statement, he will do better, and if he doesn't then, well, he doesn't even want to think about the consequences.

Adam's jaw is clenched hard, Kyle and Roddy staying silent, letting their eyes do all the talking, Bobby can tell that they're just frustrated from the match, that all the enmity in their eyes is only directed towards him because he is there, not because it's honest. It's that pack mentality that he never thought would be their downfall; it was always their biggest strength.

Adam's brows are furrowed and his eyes are so piercing blue that Bobby can't help but get entranced in them. Whenever he was scared or hurt, Adam's eyes would provide the comfort that he desperately needed. All of them had a different way to comfort him, for Adam it was his eyes, for Kyle it was his jokes, for Roddy it was just his presence that was enough, just knowing that he was there always calmed him more than he cared to admit.

But now, when he looks into Adam's eyes, so desperately seeking comfort, is met with nothing but coldness, Bobby feels something that he can't quite put a name to.

It's hurt, mixed with hopelessness, it's his heart that feels like it's being ripped right out of his chest, it's every support breaking apart, crashing down, crushing him. It's the realisation that something you loved just doesn't feel the same anymore.

Bobby wants to say something else, but he can't find the words, and the moment passes, leaving him bereft in its wake. With every second that passes, the silence grows heavier and heavier and it starts to feel like a lead weight on his shoulders. Adam just gives a sad shake to his head, his shoulders dropping. He turns around and walks away. Roddy follows, and Kyle moves to join him, stopping slightly to give him one small glance, his eyes sad, before joining the other two.

They leave him alone, and for once he doesn't know what to do.

He needs to be better, for them, he won't except any less, so he does what he always does: he trains. He goes to the gym and works out until his limbs feel like lead, and his body screams for relief, hours and hours pass, and it soon turns dark. He eats when he's finished and his body aches more than it ever had in its life. He's so tired, but there's a sense of proudness that he feels, he feels confident again, although it's a bit pitiful. He's not happy, per se, because he doesn't think he could ever be happy without his boys but, for the first time in a while, he feels hopeful.

He just hopes that he can make everything better.

He doesn't go back to them at night; it doesn't feel right, he would feel like he was intruding on something he shouldn't, even though he loved them so much, even though they were his boys, it just didn't feel that way anymore. The company each gives them their own hotel room when they're on the road, even though most of the time they all just stay in one of them, so Bobby heads to his own room, hoping that he doesn't accidentally see one of them. He swears under his breath when he remembers that to get to his own room, he has to go past the one that they all share together. 

Thankfully he doesn't come into contact with any of them as he walks by, and he tries to ignore the way his heart races as he scurries by, taking a deep breath when he finds himself in the sanctuary of his room. He locks the door behind him and walks straight to the bathroom to take a shower. Showers always helped him to think, to mull everything over.

He hisses ever so slightly when the hot water comes into contact with his skin, cascading down his back, seeping into the aching muscles. The stinging pain eventually eases into warm relief and he closes his eyes. The water is probably hotter than it needs to be, but the burn feels nice, it sharpens his senses, helps him to concentrate. He loses himself in thought, and when he eventually comes to his senses again, his skin is burning.

When he steps out of the shower and dries himself off, his skin is red and almost scalding to the touch, but it doesn't matter to him. A knock to his door stuns him out of his reverie, quickly putting on some clothes and hurrying to the door. His hand hesitates once he grabs the handle, his fingers curling around the metal but doing nothing else. He doesn't quite know why he pauses, but he does, and he hopes that it's not one of the others: he doesn't know how he could bear to see them after what he did to them.

The person knocks again, making him jump slightly, and Bobby takes a deep breath as he pulls down on the handle and opens it.

It's Kyle.

He was both elated and devastated to see him there, a mixture that he never thought he would associate with Kyle.

They both stand there in silence, Kyle's eyes meeting his, and Bobby can't explain how glad he is that there is no maliciousness in his gaze. Brown eyes stare into brown eyes, and Bobby finds his heart thrumming.

Kyle speaks first, "Adam's not mad anymore, y'know, you could come back to ours if you wanted to."

Bobby purses his lips in thought, "I think it'll be best if I stay here for tonight."

Kyle looks saddened by this, and Bobby instantly feels his heart clench.

"Can I come in?" Kyle asks, his voice soft, delicate, and it always surprised Bobby how he could be just so gentle.

Bobby nods his head, not quite trusting himself to speak, and moves out of the way to let him in, closing the door behind them both, the soft click of it closing in the only sound in the otherwise noiseless room.

Kyle doesn't move from where he stands, turning around to look at Bobby, except Bobby can't bear himself to look at Kyle, so he focuses on the grains on the wall instead. The air is awkward, uncomfortable, fraught almost.

It's only when Kyle speaks next that Bobby finally looks at him.

"By the way, I know what you've been doing."

Bobby feels his heart jump up into his throat, and he swallows thickly. He opens his mouth to speak but is interrupted by Kyle again.

"I know you've been going to the gym more, and sleeping less. I know you've been taking the brunt of the matches lately to protect us, I know that you're putting all this pressure on yourself, Bobby, okay, I know."

Bobby tries to speak, and inwardly curses himself for being so obvious, but all that comes out is splutters. He just looks at Kyle's eyes, and he sees how soft they are, how they curve at the ends, how, if you look hard enough, you can see the faintest of crinkles, he sees love in Kyle's eyes, and is caught so off guard that he shifts his weight on his feet uncomfortably, not being able to keep the eye contact with him.

Kyle takes a step towards him, and they're so close that Bobby could reach out and touch him if he wanted, and he does want to. Instead, he curls his hands into fists by his sides because he doesn't know if he can bear to touch him.

It was foolish on Bobby's part for forgetting just how observant Kyle really could be. People always called Kyle the 'dumb one' of the group, not seeing behind the mask of jokes that Kyle wore. He was almost hauntingly methodical and attentive. He sees things that no-one else does, and Bobby was constantly in awe of him.

Kyle reaches out to Bobby, cupping the side of his face with one hand, and Bobby finally looks up at him. Kyle's thumb softly smooths over Bobby's cheek, and Bobby struggles to swallow the lump in his throat. 

"You don't have to try so hard for us, okay? You don't need to put all this pressure on yourself. We're a team, all of us, that means we work together, and we all take the weight on our shoulders equally."

"I just... feel like I can't keep up with you guys anymore," Bobby says, just above a whisper, not trusting himself to say it louder.

"If you feel that way then... we'll slow down for you. We love you, Bobby, so much, don't do this to yourself."

Bobby doesn't say anything else: he knows he won't be able to without his voice shaking. He hates been seen like this, hates showing the weakness that he believed would be his downfall, instead, he just leans into Kyle's embrace, pressing his head into the crook of Kyle's neck, his arms wrapping around Kyle, curling his fingers into the fabric of his shirt; Kyle hugs back just as tightly.

"C'mon Bobby, what do you say we go back to the guys?" Kyle says after a while, his voice soft, just like silk.

"Are you sure they want me there?"

"Of course, we'd all be lost without you."

Bobby can't help the smile that makes its way onto his face at that statement.

"Okay, let's go back to them." 

Kyle pulls away, and the smile on his face is so blinding that Bobby has to remind himself just how to breathe.

"Let's go," Kyle says, the warmth in his voice making Bobby believe that everything will be ok again.

  
When they reach the door of where the others are, and an instant wave of nervousness washes over him, and he can feel his heart start to race, but he feels Kyle's fingers find his own and grasp them tightly and gives them a comforting squeeze. Bobby gives him a quick glance, and he assumes that the apprehension is clear on his face, because Kyle gives him a reassuring smile. Bobby tentatively knocks on the door, and Kyle lets go of his hand. Bobby almost instantly wishes it had never left.

The door opens almost immediately, and he's instantly met with Adam's piercing blue eyes staring at him. There's an almost look of relief in Adam's eyes, and Bobby can't help the way that his heart jumps at the realisation.

"Bobby," Adam says, almost breathlessly.

"Adam," Bobby says, his voice quiet, nervous.

"I'm sorry," they both say at the same time, small smiles finding their ways onto their faces once they realise what just happened.

Bobby opens his mouth to speak, but Adam interrupts him, "I- I shouldn't have snapped at you, Bobby, I'm so sorry."

Bobby just shakes his head dismissively, "it's fine, don't worry about it, you were angry from the match it's understandable."

"It wasn't right of me to get angry at you Bobby, I am really sorry."

Bobby gives him a small smile, taking a tentative step towards him, "Adam trust me, I don't blame you, I promise you, it's fine." 

The look on Adam's face tells him that it's not quite fine, but that he's willing to forget about it for now, and that's good enough for Bobby. Adam reaches out towards him, placing a hand on the back of Bobby's neck, guiding him into the room, his touch soft, and delicate. Bobby gives in to the touch, feeling happier than he's felt in a long while. Roddy is already waiting for him, and when he sees Bobby, a smile lights up his face, one that Bobby just can't help but mirror.

"I love you," Bobby hears Adam tell him. It's quiet, but it's enough, and Bobby smiles up at him.

"I love you too," he repeats, leaning up to press a light kiss to Adam's cheek. 

Adam huffs out a laugh, his eyes crinkling in the corner, and his smile so bright and Bobby inhales a shaky breath. Adam leans over to press a kiss of his own to Bobby's cheek, and he just can't help the smile that finds its way onto his face. A hand on his arm draws Bobby's attention, and he sees Roddy there. He doesn't even have time to react before Roddy is cupping his head with both hands, leaning down to press a kiss to his lips. Bobby laughs against Roddy's lips, kissing back just as eagerly.

Kyle is next, and he is perhaps the softest of them all, he waits until Roddy pulls away before pressing a kiss to Bobby's forehead. It's only a light kiss, but Bobby doesn't care because all he can think about is just how much he loves his boys. They all pull in for a hug, Bobby in the centre of it, all four of them laughing and joking around just like it was before, and Bobby has never been so in love.

"C'mon," Kyle says eventually, "let's get some sleep, I think we all need it."

Bobby gives Kyle a small smile that shows every bit of his gratitude, and Kyle knows it.

He used to believe there was no Bobby Fish without Undisputed Era, he now starts to realise that there is no Undisputed Era without Bobby Fish.


End file.
